Torrey Smith

Katie Moody, the Baltimore-based Patriots fan, who is known on Twitter as @katiebrady12 and who has caught major heat after firing off an insensitive tweet to Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith, has issued a formal apology. "I profoundly regret my thoughtless, tasteless, and completely inappropriate comment, and I deeply lament the pain that it has caused. I would like to apologize to Torrey Smith, his family, friends, and everyone who was distressed by what I said. I should have been offering sympathy and compassion for such a terrible and heart-breaking loss.

The word on Torrey Smith when he entered the 2011 NFL Draft was that the wide receiver could become the vertical threat offenses desire. And he has done that for the Ravens, averaging 18.7 yards per catch in his rookie campaign and posting four of six touchdown receptions of at least 25 yards. But Smith also proved that he can make the necessary grabs on short and intermediate routes that produce first downs, not just highlight-reel scores. In the team's 24-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts Sunday, Smith caught five passes for 48 yards, averaging 9.6 yards - his second-lowest average when making at least three grabs this season.

A pair of Ravens have earned nominations for weekly honors. Ray Rice's 104-yard, two-touchdown performance in the team's 31-24 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday has earned the running back a spot as one of three finalists for the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week. Rice is vying for the award with the Detroit Lions' Kevin Smith (140 yards and two touchdowns in a 49-35 win against the Carolina Panthers) and the Cleveland Browns' Chris Ogbonnaya (115 yards and one touchdown in a 14-10 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars)

One was expected to be a difference-maker right away. The other was supposed to take a little more time. But last season, Cincinnati's A.J. Green and Baltimore's Torrey Smith both scared the bejesus out of NFL secondaries as the AFC North boasted two of the league's most dangerous and productive rookie receivers. Each scored seven receiving touchdowns, which was one shy of the rookie leader, Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons. Green, whom Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Tuesday might be the best wide receiver in football, led all rookies with 1,057 receiving yards and 65 receptions in 15 games last season.

Wide receiver Torrey Smith has just as many big plays as he has starts in his rookie campaign. The former University of Maryland standout caught a 51-yard pass in the third quarter of the Ravens' 29-14 victory over the Houston Texans. Smith, who made his third consecutive start in place of Lee Evans, has recorded three of the team's six longest plays from scrimmage. “I don't know. It's just a pass completion,” said Smith, who caught three pass for 84 yards. “It's just my role.

Usually, the speed of Ravens receiver Torrey Smith presents a lot of challenges for defenses, but the Pittsburgh Steelers aren't too concerned. Pittsburgh cornerbacks Keenan Lewis and Ike Taylor see that type of speed every day in practice when they go against Mike Wallace, who has 42 catches for 539 yards and six touchdowns.  “Honestly, he's a real fast guy but he's not Mike Wallace," Lewis said of Smith. "We've got the fastest guy in the league. Period. Every day. So when you have a guy like that you practice with, especially me in the summer time then every day in practice, I'm feeling pretty comfortable about guarding him.” Watch for Suggs I think the Pittsburgh game was the one end/outside linebacker Terrell Suggs circled initially in terms of his comeback from his Achilles injury.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh expressed hope earlier in the week that his team is getting healthier and that appears to be the case heading into Sunday's game against the New York Giants. Only three Ravens - running back  Bernard Pierce (concussion), wide receiver Tandon Doss (ankle) and safety Bernard Pollard (chest/ribs) - were not present at this morning's practice at the Under Armour Performance Facility. Pierce, Doss and Pollard haven't practiced all week, making it unlikely that they'll play Sunday.

Maryland football coach Randy Edsall offered condolences today to former Terp and current Raven Torrey Smith, whose younger brother, Tevin, was killed in a motorcycle accident. Edsall said Maryland's football program was thinking about Smith and his family and “praying for them.” Smith, who played for former coach Ralph Friedgen, remains close with  current and former Terps players. He trains with many of them during the offseason and returns occasionally to College Park.

For a good portion of Sunday night's contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Torrey Smith didn't have much to be pleased with. The rookie wide receiver dropped four passes, including a potential 37-yard pass from quarterback Joe Flacco that hit him in the hands in the end zone on the Ravens' final series of the game. Four plays later, however, Flacco went back to Smith, and this time, he held onto the football for a 26-yard game-winning touchdown catch with eight seconds left in the fourth quarter.

When the season began, Torrey Smith was not only Maryland's top kickoff returner, but among the best in the Atlantic Coast Conference. But Smith — who entered the season with a school-record three career kickoff-return touchdowns — has been hampered by a nagging ankle injury. Coach Ralph Friedgen said Sunday that he is considering experimenting with using different returners, at least until Smith gets healthy. The coach said the list includes Tony Logan, who entered Saturday's 31-7 loss at Clemson with the nation's best punt-return average (27.7)